Unexpected Visitor
by clanKorval
Summary: What happens when Gary discovers Alanna's secret- at a very unfortunate time! Set the morning after Alanna's seventeenth birthday.


Disclaimer: I have no wish to infringe upon copyrights, so all of the characters, in addition to some of the dialogue, belong to Tamora Pierce.  
  
A/N: I wrote this during the winter hols. and only just now got around to posting it! Whoops! Just a little ficlet about what might happen if Gary found out about Alanna earlier than she expected, and to make it interesting, I set it the morning after her seventeenth birthday! :-)  
  
Gareth the Younger of Naxen, known by his friends as Gary, rapped gently on the plain wooden door. No answer. He knocked again, loud enough to wake anyone sleeping inside. "Alan?" he called, "Are you in there?" When there was still no answer, he rested his ear against the door. No sounds. Gary normally didn't pry, but this intrigued—and worried—him. Alan was not one to be in a lady's room, so where was he? Could he be sick? Gary took out his small knife and slid it between the door and jamb, the tip probing the bolt. "Aha," he muttered, as the knife caught in a small dent. Carefully, he slid the bolt to the side, opened the door, and quietly slipped inside.  
  
Alanna woke suddenly. A shock ran through her when she felt that she wore nothing under the linen sheet, and that there was someone beside her, until she remembered last night. Then she smiled, snuggling a little closer to her knight-master. Thinking back to what had woken her, she remembered that Jon had gently shaken her awake. She opened her eyes and found him leaning on one elbow, ready to shake her shoulder again. He brushed a few strands of red hair out of her face, and kissed her cheek.  
  
"Someone's knocking on your door, love. Gary, by the sound of the voice. He's left now, but he obviously wanted something. And it's about time we were waking up anyway."  
  
"Mmnnn...you're right." Sleepily, she yawned, stretched, and swung her feet out onto the floor. Still self-conscious about being naked in front of someone, she quickly picked up her nightshirt, breeches and loincloth and slipped into Jon's dressing room to put them on. She didn't have her corset—it was in her room—so the curves of her breasts showed clearly through the white linen shirt.  
  
Stepping out into the main room again, she smiled at Jon, who was in the middle of dressing himself- he had on his trousers, but nothing more. She felt so happy! "Good morning, Jon."  
  
He crossed to her. "Good morning, beautiful." Grinning, he caught her hands, leaned forward, and kissed her, taking his sweet time.  
  
"Do you still think it's Delia that I want?" he whispered into her ear.  
  
Alanna grinned. "You'd better not be even thinking about her." She squeezed his hands, and walked around the bed to her door.  
  
A second before she opened it, she felt something was wrong. As the door swung open, she cautiously looked into her room. Startled, she jumped and almost screamed. Gary was in the middle of spreading out on the bed the purple silk dress she had worn last night and then thrown into a corner. He looked up, surprise and then shock playing across his face as he took her in, Jon standing without a shirt in the room behind her.  
  
Alanna was speechless for a moment, then she colored brilliantly, realizing what he must have heard. She caught her voice soon enough, though. "What the hell are you doing here? The door was locked! Don't you know not to pry into people's private business?" she yelled, furious. Her chest, the dress, her and Jon—her secret was ruined.  
  
Jon came up beside her, and put his hand on her shoulder. "Calm down," he whispered. He nodded at his cousin. "Well, Cousin, you can add your name to the list of people who have found out about her."  
  
Gary looked stunned. "Her? I knew you had a secret, Alan, but...wait- who are you?"  
  
Jon sidestepped the furious Alanna and came between them. As if making a formal introduction, he said, "Cousin Gary, this is Lady Alanna of Trebond, the first female squire since the warrior maidens of old."  
  
Gary stood up and started pacing her room. Alanna grabbed her dressing-gown and tied it around her, trying to disguise her feminine curves. She felt uncomfortable with her chest unbound in front of Gary. As if reading her mind, he turned to her. "But—your breasts!" Gary rudely stared at her chest, before looking away. "How do you hide them?"  
  
Alanna blushed. "I use a special corset that binds them flat." She turned to the dresser and started pulling out a set of clothes. She took out her corset and carefully put it on the bottom of her armload, where neither man could see it. They may know her secret, but she didn't feel like flaunting her underclothes.  
  
"But what about when you bathe? Wait," he whistled. "None of us have ever seen you bathe! And— that's why you had such a temper when Raoul tried to get you to swim!" Gary started laughing his deep, contagious laugh. Alanna, furious at herself for doing so, couldn't help but grin as Gary twisted around and looked at Jon. "You said I could 'add my name to the list'. Who all knows about her?"  
  
"I'm not at all sure...I only know that there are several people. Alanna, who all does know your secret?"  
  
Alanna stopped grinning and sighed. "George and Mistress Cooper. Thom- my brother. Coram. The healing woman at Trebond. Faithful. You two. I suspect Myles does."  
  
"When will you tell everybody? Oh, I can't wait to see how they respond!"  
  
The girl was puzzled. Why wasn't Gary angry at her? How could he find her secret hilarious? "When I'm eighteen. Once I have my shield, and it doesn't matter if they all hate me."  
  
Jon looked tired. "I've told you time and time again, Alanna. They won't hate you. Gary doesn't hate you."  
  
"Alanna... You have to realize that you have friends, good ones. We'll stick by your side no matter what. Of course there'll be those who don't know you well— and those are the ones who be angry at you." Gary ran a finger over the fine silk dress. "I suppose this is yours, then. Someday, I'd like to see you in it. I still can't believe that Squire Alan is a pretty girl."  
  
"Can't you? Don't get your hopes up. Why were you in my room in the first place?"  
  
"My father wanted to see you. Still does. You'd better get dressed and see him." Gary opened the door and left, closing it carefully behind him.  
  
Jon turned to her. "Well, what was that all about?"  
  
"How was I supposed to know he was in my room?"  
  
He sighed angrily. "No, I mean your flirting with him! And right after last night, too!"  
  
Alanna gasped, shocked. "I was not flirting with him! I am allowed to have other male friends besides you, Jon! What has gotten into you? Just a moment ago you were saying what great friends I have!" She turned her back to him. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get dressed."  
  
"As you wish," Jon said coolly, and backed out of her room, quietly closing the connecting door and leaving a very confused Alanna standing alone in her room, holding an armful of clothes.  
  
A/N: I'm not sure whether I should continue this and make it into an Alanna/Gary fic or not- please review with your opinion on the subject! 


End file.
